Copenhagen

Despite the late arrival in Copenhagen, we can’t sleep in today because we only have this one day here and want to see and experience as much as possible. We set off straight away in the direction of the old town and pick up breakfast on the way at a bakery with particularly good reviews. We look forward to the typical Danish sweet pastries and are not disappointed. We sit in the sunshine at Nyhavn, Copenhagen’s harbour, with delicious but very expensive croissants and coffee. We really like the colourful little houses and the beautiful ships in the harbour. But we can’t linger long, as Copenhagen has a lot to offer. We walk from the old town to Kastellet, a star-shaped fortress from the 17th century and one of the best-preserved fortresses in Northern Europe. There, of course, we also visit the famous lille Havfrue, the Little Mermaid. It was definitely not just the two of us who had this idea. The love-seeking statue seems to be a popular subject for photos. From St Alban’s Church we walk on to Christian VII’s Palace (Moltke’s Palace) and arrive just in time for the changing of the guard. The ceremony attracts many spectators. Our next stop is Frederik’s Church, also known as the Marble Church, the most impressive church in Copenhagen.

For lunch we get salad bowls from a supermarket and eat them near the harbour with a view of the sea. Refuelled, we walk into the city centre and go into a few shops. As Copenhagen is a very fashionable city, a little shopping is of course a must. But we are not here to spend our time in the shops, so we walk on briskly to our last destination, the freetown of Christiania. Christiania is an alternative community and commune in the Danish capital. The district used to be a military area, but from 1971 it quickly moved towards the hippie movement, squatting, collectivism and anarchism. In the freetown, life is a bit different: People live very alternative lives and the houses are colourful, a contrast to Copenhagen’s modern, well-kept city centre. To rest our feet a little, we sit down by the water at Nyhavn. On the way there, we pass a square with lots of food stalls and decide to come back here later for dinner. By chance, an old friend is visiting at the same time, so we meet for dinner in this square. After dinner, we end the evening in a bar right next to the water. We even find a seat on a floating bench.